EGN 4932 Global Water Resource Sustainability
UF in Florence Summer 2016 at FUA
T, W, R: 9-11:30 AM
Course overview: This course describes how humans interact with water resources on a global scale. We
use technical foundations from science, engineering and economics, to address management and policy
at the intersection of water and human society. Finally, we provide a strong connection to the place and
history of our location in Florence, from ancient times through the Renaissance and to the present day.
Questions we explore:
 How are water resources connected to societal development?
 Is there enough water for everybody?
 How is water allocated?
 Where is the world’s fresh water?
 Why is water important in Florence? What universal understanding can we gain from this place
and its history?
Instructors
James W. Jawitz, Professor
Soil and Water Science Department
2191 McCarty Hall
352-294-3141, [email protected]
Ray Huffaker, Professor
Agricultural and Biological Engineering
281 Frazier-Rogers Hall
352-392-1864 x283, [email protected]
Course format and evaluation procedures:
In-class lectures are complemented by assigned readings with corresponding weekly writing
assignments. We also get outside the classroom with 3 walking tours in Florence and 2 field trips
(Bologna and Venice). Weekly writings are two-page (> 500 words) critical reflections of the readings
and your field experiences and should address the week’s main themes. A question or comment must
be identified at the end of the response for sharing during in-class discussion.
Class materials, including readings and lecture are available for download on Canvas. Grades will be
based on thoughtful and consistent participation in class discussions, writing assignments, and an
additional fun assignment in Florence.
Course components
Points
Class participation
32
6 writing assignments, 8 points each
48
Final project, including in-class presentation
20
Total points
100
Course Schedule
Date
17 May
Sustainability
18 May
Water history
R
2 T
19 May
24 May
Walking tour: Fiesole
Water rights
W
R
3 T
25 May
26 May
31 May
Field trip: Bologna
No class (moved to Wed)
Government and markets
W
R
4 T
1 June
2 June
7 June
Walking tour: Florence+Boboli
No class (National holiday)
Global water resources
W
R
5 T
8 June
9 June
14 June
Florence and water
Walking tour: Florence+water
Florence and water
W
R
S-S
6 T
15 June
16 June
18-19 June
21 June
No class (FUA-UF holiday)
Venice and water
Field trip: Venice
Virtual water
22 June
23 June
Capstone: Student presentations
Capstone: Faculty synthesis
Presentation
1 T
W
W
R
Topic
Assignment Due Dates
1. Graedel and Klee, 2003. Sustainability
2. Gleick, 2010. Peak water
3. Jacobsen and Adams, 1958. Mesopotamia
4. Hall, 1993. Rome
Writing 1 – sustainability
5. FAO Legislative Study 2006. Water rights
Writing 2 – water rights
Water history of a northern Italian city
6. Gwartney and Wagner (1988) Regulation
Writing 3 – Economic view of regulation
The landscape of Florence
7. Vorosmarty, 2009. Global water
8. UNHDP, 2006. Water for people
Writing 4 – global water
9. Else, 2009. Granducal Florence
How water has shaped Florence
10. Witoszek, 2010. Arno diversion
Writing 5 – Florence+water
11. Camuffo, 2003. Venice and climate
A city built, and imperiled, by water
12. Hoekstra, water footprints
Writing 6 – Venice
Topic 1: Sustainability. Why should we care about water resources? Is water a public or private good? Is
water renewable? What does sustainability mean anyway?
1. Graedel, T. E. and Klee, R.J., 2002. Getting serious about sustainability, Environ. Sci.
Technol., 36 (4), 523-529.
2. Gleick, P.H., and Palaniappan, M., 2010. Peak water limits to freshwater withdrawal and
use, Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences of the United States of America,
107(25): 11155–11162.
Topic 2: History. What is the difference between hydrologic cycle and hydraulic cycle? What is a
hydraulic society? How is water related to the rise of societies? How about their fall?
3. Jacobsen, T. and R.M. Adams, 1958. Salt and silt in ancient Mesopotamian agriculture,
Science, 128 (3334), 1251-1258
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4. Hall, P., 1997. Cities in Civilization, Chapter 22: The Imperial Capital: Rome 50BC – AD 100,
Pantheon, NY. (pp. 621-656)
Topic 3: Water rights, government and markets. How are scarce water resources allocated among
competing water users? What role does public regulation play in water allocation?
5. Hodgson, Steven (2006). Modern Water Rights, FAO Legislative Study 92, pp. 1-30.
6. Gwartney, James and Richard Wagner (1988). Public Choice and the Conduct of
Representative Government in Public Choice and Constitutional Economics, James Gwartney
and Richard Wagner eds., London: JAI Press, pp. 3-28.
Topic 4. Global water resources. Where is the water in the world? How do the spatial and temporal
distributions of water supply correlate to those of demand? Where are the most pressing water issues
of today and tomorrow? Who is the water for?
7. Vorosmarty et al., 2009. The Earth’s natural water cycles, in The United Nations World
Water Development Report 3: Water in a Changing World, World Water Assessment
Programme, Paris: UNESCO. http://www.unesco.org/water/wwap/wwdr/wwdr3/ [pp. 166180]
8. United Nations Human Development Program, 2006. Beyond Scarcity: Power, Poverty and
the Global Water Crisis, UNDP: NY. http://hdr.undp.org/hdr2006/ [pp. 27-54]
Topic 5. Florence and water. Why Florence? How did water resources shape the city’s destiny – and
how does water continue to do so today? Why did the Renaissance happen when and where it did?
What was so great about the Renaissance anyway? Leonardo’s observations of the natural world are
famous – but did he ever put his ideas into practice?
9. Witoszek, N., 2010. Rivers and humans: The civilizing project of Leonardo da Vinci and
Niccoló Macchiavelli, In: W. Østreng (ed.): Transference. Interdisciplinary Communications
2007/2008, CAS, Oslo.
10. Else, F.M., 2009. Controlling the waters of Granducal Florence: A new look at Stefano
Bonsignori's view of the City (1584), Imago Mundi, 61(2): 168-185.
Topic 6. Venice. How have water resources shaped the city? How has the population of Venice changed
over time? What are the major issues for Venice today and tomorrow?
11. Camuffo, D., and Sturaro, G., 2003. Sixty-cm submersion of Venice discovered thanks to
Canaletto’s paintings, Climatic Change, 58: 333–343.
12. Aldaya, M.M., and Hoekstra, A.Y., 2010. The water needed for Italians to eat pasta and pizza,
Agricultural Systems, 103:351-360.
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